What’s the connection between the World Forestry Center and ChocolateFest?

ChocolateFest is a fundraiser for the World Forestry Center, located in Portland, Oregon. The World Forestry Center produces ChocolateFest using its own staff and does not use an outside event services team. Therefore, 100% of the proceeds go right back to our mission of educating about the world’s forests, trees and environmental sustainability.

The World Forestry Center is a non profit organization founded in 1964. Our mission is to educate and inform people about the world’s forests and trees, and environmental sustainability.

Cacao tree and pods

In 2006 the Center created ChocolateFest as a fundraiser that would not only expose visitors to wonderful chocolate products, but educate about the tropical cacao tree and how chocolate is made from bean to bar.

We gathered a few local vendors and held the event on our campus in Portland’s Washington Park. That first year a little over 1,000 people came to sample and savor some of the best chocolate Portland had to offer.

Now eleven years later, ChocolateFest has grown into a Northwest tradition. In 2011 we decided to move ChocolateFest to the Oregon Convention Center so we could accommodate our exhibitors with more room, create a more spacious atmosphere for our visitors, and build on a very important fundraiser that supports our education programs. We now have close to 10,000 chocolate lovers from around the country join us for this fun and educational event.